Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to an apparatus for providing communication parameters.
Description of the Related Art
When a communication apparatus is to be connected to a wireless network, it is necessary to set various communication parameters such as the encryption method, the encryption key, the authentication method, and the authentication key. A technique for facilitating setting of these communication parameters is discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-60623. In the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-60623, a communication apparatus displays a Quick Response (QR) Code® indicating communication parameters. Then, another communication apparatus captures and reads an image of the QR Code®, and sets the read communication parameters to an access point.
As with the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-60623, user's complicated input operations can be reduced by setting communication parameters upon capturing of an image of code information allowing much information to be encoded, such as a two-dimensional code.
Further, to enable communication apparatuses to directly connect with each other, connection processing called Wi-Fi Direct® enacted by Wi-Fi Alliance® is stipulated as a standard. When communication parameters are set in Wi-Fi Direct®, an apparatus intended for wireless connection transmits a search request message (probe) by broadcast on a predetermined wireless channel, and, when a search response message is received from an other end apparatus, detects the other end apparatus. After the detection, the apparatus transmits a communication parameter setting message by unicast to the detected other end apparatus to share the communication parameters and establish wireless connection.
In setting of communication parameters in Wi-Fi Direct®, the communication apparatus first transmits a search message by broadcast to detect the other end apparatus and then transmits the communication parameter setting message by unicast to the detected other end apparatus. More specifically, the communication apparatus transmitted two different messages to the same other end apparatus, resulting in low efficiency communication.
On the other hand, by transmitting a communication parameter setting message by broadcast in such a manner that it also serves as a search message, the efficiency of communication can be improved in comparison with the above-described processing.
In this case, however, many unspecified apparatuses existing around are able to receive the communication parameter setting message. This increases a risk that a communication parameter is set to an unintended apparatus and a denial-of-service attack is received from the unintended apparatus, which possibly degrades security.